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CHAPTER 1: The new manager
Vernon was just mindlessly scrolling on his phone, while sitting on the couch in the waiting room that was filled to the smallest corner with the other 11 members and their staffs. The muffled sound of people’s voices acted as white noise in his head. Then suddenly, it all went silent. The room still for a split second. Just as Vernon raised his head up to check, his manager’s voice came up, and Vernon’s eyes also catched on what might have been the reason.
“Everyone! Meet Minghao. He’s gonna be our new manager and accompy us until the end of this tour.”
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Vernon doesn’t usually stare. But as the first time his eyes landed on the new manager, it was stuck there like a magnet.
It was only for a sharp pain from his side, which made him jumped in his chair, that snapped his eyes away from Minghao. He turned around, hands rumbing the stingy pain, to see Seungkwan’s face pining too close to him. The boy’s eyes were looking elsewhere but as he began to whisper (which Vernon doesn’t know why), darted back to Vernon.
“Wow, the new manager is so handsome…” Seungkwan commented honestly.
Vernon doesn’t respond back. He only turned to look at the guy again, who was now talking to his current manager. Vernon’s expression unchanged but his head moved up and down rthymely like a sign of agreement.
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“BOOOOOOO!” The crowd echoed.
Dokyeom’s heart dropped.
“Ehhhh~? You guys don’t like it?” He teased but his voice has already started to crack up.
It was the section of Caratland where each members have to dance to a song that doesn’t fit them. Everything was alright until Dokyeom’s turn. He was assigned to dance to ‘Guilty’ and there was a part of the choreography that he has to lift up his shirt, revealing his whole chest. Carats must have wanted Dokyeom to show some skin, but he actually has another plan.
*1 hour ago, at the waiting room*
Dokyeom was giggling non stop as he put on the fake abs under his shirt. Mingyu, who was chewing on some kimbap, eyed him side way.
“You really gonna do it?” He said between bites.
“Ofcourse! It’s gonna be fun!” Dokyeom beamed, he pulled his shirt down and turned to look in the mirror. “Yes! It’s not showing at all!”
Mingyu only scoffed but a big smile has already planted on his face.
But little did both Mingyu and Dokyeom, or any of the members at all, would expect the final outcome.
*Back at the present*
The booing was still stretching in the air, like a thread squeezing at Dokyeom’s heart. He tried to act silly and sulking but he was actually hurted by the negative reaction.
It was only when the other members step in that Carats would stop booing, and the uncomfortable vibe died down abit.
The dance challenge continued but it wasn’t the same anymore. Like the air was unintentionally thicken, weighing on every other members’ body.
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The tension only lighten after Caratland ended, the members started to walk back to their waiting room.
Mingyu’s arm aruptly wrapped around Dokyeom’s shoulder, he tried to catch his breath before turning to the other boy.
“Hey!” He blurted out, but words suddenly got stuck in his throat.
Dokyeom lightly pushed off Mingyu’s arm and walked faster. Mingyu clicked his tongue while the other members sighed heavily.
The situation was not good. And everyone were too drained from trying to keep the show as good as possible. Even Jeonghan was exhausted as he shook his head when he met gazes with Mingyu’s SOS signal.
The other staffs somehow also felt Dokyeom’s upset, they were worried but don’t know how to help as well. So the heavy air just grew even bigger, heavier and grabbing at everyone’s throats, up until they has already went in the waiting room.
It was only half an hour later when Dokyeom’s laugh was suddenly heard in the hallway (he went to the buy coffee before that).
Everyone immediately whipped their heads up as the familiar laugh got closer and eventually got inside, filling up the whole room.
“Hahahahaha” Dokyeom’s laugh ringing like a church bells, followed by his cheerful chime “I can’t believe you said that to him, Minghao-ah!”
Entered just after Dokyeom, Minghao said egearly “I was just stating a fact.”
Dokyeom turned his attention away from Minghao to the room and raised the coffee above his face “We bought coffee!!!” He announced proudly like any other time he would gone back to get coffee.
But the room was quiet. No one said anything. Just staring at both Minghao and Dokyeom.
Dokyeom peeked his face from behind the coffee he has holded up, his confusion copied and pasted with Minghao’s.
“Uh… Is there something on my fa-“ Minghao broked the silence. Before he could finish his sentence, Jeonghan suddenly appeared in front of them, his expression soften ever so slightly.
“Woah! Thank you so much, Minghao-ah Dokyeom-ah!” He gently took Dokyeom’s holder, mentally make his smile bigger when their gazes brushed “We was just really worry what took you guys so long to come back.”
Jeonghan’s last sentence seems to turned a switch in Dokyeom as his smile grew even bigger. “Oh! Hahahaha, you guys won’t believe what took us so long!” he immediately blurted out.
Just like that, the staff secretly breathed out a sigh of relief and turned back to their work, while the other members started to turn their attention to Dokyeom, who has made his way next to Vernon on a couch.
Chatter naturally filled up the room, making it whole and lively again.
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“Thanks.” Scoups’ voice was coated with warm honey when he whispered to Minghao, who was passing the members their Americano.
The young manager stretched his plump lips into a thin, soft line, “Yeh” He responded shortly before handed Scoups his own drink and excused himself. Scoups’ eyes lingered abit on his back before turning to Dokyeom and the group.
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Seventeen were always known for their friendly and welcoming attitude for anyone, including their new manager, Xu Minghao.
After Dokyeom’s situation, the other members slowly become more comfortable and try to know more about him.
First, it was Seungkwan.
Although everyone, including him, knew that Seungkwan is an E. But there was something about Minghao that made Seungkwan felt extremely comfortable, soft and warm inside whenever they interact.
He quickly picked up Seungkwan’s daily “routine” of Americanos and always ordered them on time for him. The young manager also speak to him with such sweetness, sometimes a bit teasing (in Minghao’s defense it because Seungkwan is just so darn adorable when he pouts), that makes him can’t not like him.
Another bonus point is that Minghao always noticed Seungkwan’s mood dropping after spending too much energy filming for a show.
When Seungkwan has propped down to a couch in the waiting room, mindlessly scrolling on his phone, completely drained, Minghao was always the first to walk up to him and strike a small talk. Those small talks, even though short and quick, always somehow tuck at the right string in the boy’s heart and lifted off the pressure in his chest. So, his respect and fondness towards Minghao grew even bigger.
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However, even earlier than Dokyeom or Seungkwan, a certain person has also had his eyes on Minghao. And it was no other than Vernon. He is one curious boy.
Vernon, as always, was just Vernon - he didn’t approach, he observed.
Even though he didn’t make it his top priority, but Vernon’s eyes were always darted atleast one to Minghao whenever they were in the same room.
He was mentally taking notes of Minghao’s characters through the way he speaks, acts and respond to other people. Both to his colleagues and the other members. And by the third day of observation, Vernon was sure Minghao is a nice person at heart.
Minghao is kind, considerate, intuitive but most importantly, he is fun to be around.
It was on the fourth day of their tour. The group was scheduled to do fancalls after filming some short tiktok videos. Vernon got a phone in front of him with his earphones on, and Minghao was also sitting with him that day.
Some of the first few calls were alright. There was one Carat who showed Vernon her baby kitten which he squealed at, and made Minghao peeked up his eyes and smiled warmly.
But Vernon has always had… “strange” situations comes to him unannounced. It was the last call that ruined the almost “perfectly wholesome and normal fancall” streak.
The final person entered the call. She said hello to Vernon, he responded happily (he was in a good mood after the previous fancalls). But then the girl suddenly wheeled out “Raise your hand up, Hansol Vernon Chwe!”.
Vernon’s cheerful expression slowly morphed into something questionable. In the corner of his eyes, he could almost see Minghao’s head raised up in a too-arupt motion. His expression somewhat a combination of perplexed and shock.
Clearly unable to empathize with Vernon’s confusion, the girl continued with her script.
“You have been arrested for being too handsome!” Vernon wished he could explode right then and there.
For the last 3 minutes of that fancall, Vernon felt his lifespan dropped several years and his cringe-handle capacity, that were mostly for Dokyeom and Hoshi, was drained for 1 year worth of energy.
The call ended.
Silence…
“Wow…!” Minghao’s voice rang in Vernon’s head (he was so stunned by the fancall that he disassociate as a cooping mechanism).
The boy returned to reality and locked eyes with Minghao, who has already looking at him, impressed and… stunned.
A little giggle broke out of Minghao. Then Vernon also started laughing at the ridiculous “event”. Their laugh slowly filled the once-quiet area. Others started to turn their head, curious. Vernon heard some fond giggle too, and Dokyeom’s “What is it??”. But he only continued to laugh, his voice and Minghao’s mixed with each other and somehow between the breathless wheezes, Vernon has mentally put Minghao on his list of friends.